The present invention relates to an automobile seat, and more particularly to a reclining device for a rear seat of an automobile.
Generally, a rear seat, which is mounted in a vehicle for a leisure utility or a van, has a structure in that a seat back can be folded on a seat cushion in order to ensure space for goods, which in turn can be placed to a floor surface of the vehicle or the van.
In a conventional rear seat that can be folded and dived towards the floor, the seat cushion is typically integrally combined by means of a connecting bracket with the seat back. A dive link permits the seat to be divided down to the floor. The dive link has a quarter link structure in that one end of the link is connected to an end of the seat connecting bracket while the other end connected to the floor of the vehicle or van. Also, a recliner is installed on the floor of the vehicle or van to rotatably support the seat back.
Such a conventional seat structure, since the seat back is connected by means of the connecting bracket to the seat cushion and thus the seat cushion moves along with the seat back when the seat back is reclined. That is, when the seat back is pushed back, the seat cushion also moves back.
When a passenger reclines the seat back while seated in the rear seat, the force to be applied to the recliner is much greater than a usual situation (with empty seats) because the weight of the passenger is loaded on the seat cushion. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that the reclining of the seat back must be carried out without the weight of the passenger on the rear seat.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a reclining device for a rear seat of an automobile capable of simply adjusting an angle of the seat back by locking a seat cushion so as not to move with the back. In a preferred embodiment a bracket has a reclining connecting recess and a seat back connecting recess, respectively, formed therein for connecting the seat back to the seat cushion. A dive link connects the connecting bracket to a bottom or floor of the automobile. A recliner connecting link has a coupling recess and is rotatably installed to the connecting bracket by means of a rotating shaft. A seat back connecting link is rotatably connected to an end of the recliner connecting link by means of a rotating pin. A seat back frame has a connecting rod for supporting the seat back and a recliner has a control rod combined therewith for rotatably supporting the seat back.
In an embodiment of the present invention as described above, when the seat back is pushed backward with the connecting rod inserted into and latched by the seat back connecting recess of the bracket, the seat cushion moves along with the seat back. The control rod of the recliner is inserted into the connecting recess of the bracket to restrain the movement of the seat cushion while the connecting rod, which is positioned in the seat back connecting recess, is released from the seat back connecting recess so that the seat back can be freely moved.
Thus, a reclining device according to the present invention can recline the seat back with the passenger in the seat, without moving the seat cushion.
In a further preferred embodiment, an elbow-shaped bracket defines a first outward facing recess at the elbow and a second outward facing recess adjacent an upper end. The recliner connecting link is pivotably attached to the bracket. The recliner connecting link also defines a coupling recess at one end. A seat back connecting link is pinned to the recliner connecting link opposite the coupling recess. With this arrangement, the first bracket recess and the recliner connecting link recess cooperate with a recliner control rod, and the seat back connecting link and second bracket recess cooperate with a seat back frame rod to position the seat back. Preferably, a dive link is also pivotably connected to the bracket adjacent an end opposite the upper end and is pivotably connectable to the automobile floor.